Panelboards of the lower power rating such as would be found in domestic residences have in the past generally had a configuration which is more or less standard throughout the industry. Electrical power which is being fed into the panelboard is arranged to be fed into the panelboard by means of heavy electrical conducting cables which are passed through the walls of the panelboard into the topmost area to a main circuit breaker device. The incoming neutral conductor is generally connected to a neutral rail which will be found at either the top or the bottom of the panelboard. Circuit distribution from the main breaker device is generally by means of electrical conductors which branch from the main circuit breaking device which has in the past generally been physically separated from the smaller distribution circuit breaking devices, into the lower section of the distribution section of the panelboard. Circuit breaking devices of a lower current capacity are used at the distribution level to control the current in the distribution circuits. The neutral conductor for each distribution circuit must of course be securely connected to the provided neutral rail.
When an electrician wishes to connect any circuit into the prior art panelboards, he must of necessity provide a lead of sufficient length to pass through an aperture in the wall of the panelboard, so that the "live" or "hot" wire is connected to the protected or "fused" terminal of the circuit breaking device, whilst the neutral conductor must of necessity be formed and bent around a circuitous path to connect to the neutral bus assembly. This necessitates leaving a substantial extra length of conductor to be passed through the aperture in the enclosure to ensure that sufficient wire will be left to make a neutral connection for the distribution conductor.